Atch_4_-_Q&A_SOL_-_140P5219Q0022.pdf

QUESTIONS NPS RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION

SOW states The Visitors center will be the hub where the four other buildings fiber will terminate, each building will have 12 pair of fiber to the Visitors center. Install will follow the enclosed specifications and include pull boxes roughly every 600 feet along the routes for pulling and maintenance of the fiber.

Question 1: SOW states 12 pair of fiber to be installed. When referring to fiber does the customer want 12 pair which is 24 strands or does the customer want 12 strands?

12 strands or 6 pair to each remote site from the hub at the Visitors Center

Question 2: Is the customer opposed of pulling high count fiber cable and fusion splicing the building fibers off it? This will save on conduit space for future requirements.

NPS do not opposed using high capacity fiber and pulling strands, so long as capacity and integrity are not lost.

SOW states Vender will supply fiber to Ethernet media converters and Patch cables that will connect all sights using one of the installed pairs of fiber.

Question 1: Please clarify media converters are existing and or customer provided.

Contractor shall supply these converter to be installed, and should be Gigabit fiber to Ethernet converters, fiber ST connectors converting to Ethernet that will be connected to existing switches. They are standalone units and will be used to check performance of the

Question 2: Please clarify if contractor is to provide the fiber patch cords? If so, please provide connector type needed?

Vender will supply ST fiber patch cable between fiber box and vendor supplied fiber to Ethernet converter.

Vendor supplies all parts and cables that allow the new fiber system to connect to existing Ethernet switches in the park.

All fiber cable is to be protected with inner duct. After installation, inner ducts are to be permanently labeled as containing fiber optic cable at a depth of 24 inches and have some form of metal tracer for locating.

Question 1: Is the innerduct requirement between the handholes? If so the 2” conduit which is spec’d into the project doesn’t allow enough space to install innerduct correctly, please clarify?

The inner duct are only inside buildings protecting the fiber, where the fiber comes out of the ground, the in ground fiber is in conduit.

Question 2: Is tracer wire installed inside the OSP 2-inch conduit acceptable.

Yes, tracer wire installed inside the OSP 2-inch conduit is acceptable.

Mitigation(s): (A list of all mitigations that will be incorporated into the above-referenced project)

3. No clay materials are to be used during construction.

Will Bentonite Based drilling mud be allowed for directional drilling?

Response pending consultation with Resource Management.

Assume its okay, and if layer dertermined unacceptable, an equitable adjustment may be made if warranted.

Can customer confirm an existing conduit from the boat dock bldg.

to the edge of the concrete doc is existing and can be used for installing the new fiber optic cable?

Blue prints are available that show phone conduit (no longer used) and can be used for this project.

SOW still lists 12-strand 50 micron multimode fiber, although the Amendment changed it to Singlemode.

Refer to Attachment 1A SOW, revised and made part of Amendment 0001. NPS confirmd fiber was changed to single mode.

SOW lists OFNR Rated Fiber Cable. OFNR is "Optical-Fiber Non- Conductive-Riser", which is designated for Inside cabling ONLY.

Outside rated fiber is required for this type of Installation, probably All-Dielectric, which contains no metallic components that can potentially conduct electricity (such as a lightning strike) into a Building. Fiber should be "All-Dielectric, 12-strand singlemode OSP- Rated", not OFNR Rated.

Yes, NPS agree. Please make change "All-Dielectric, 12-strand singlemode OSP-Rated" and bid accordingly. If the conduit and cables are all dielectric, a conductive marker tape may be buried about a foot above the conduit to assist in future cable location and as a warning to anyone digging in the vicinity of the cable.

There is no clear logical drawing or description that describes the desired topology. The Amendment describes a 12-strand fiber from the Visitor Center to each of the other Buildings:

1550' Visitor Center to Boat Dock

3425' Visitor Center to Maintenance Office

4650' Visitor Center to Cave

4825' Visitor Center to Campground Office Is that the desired configuration? If so, are multiple individual fibers to be run in the new duct from the Visitor towards the Maintenance Compound Building, with two individual fibers then branching off towards the "Cave" and "Campground Office"?

The Visitors Center is the hub and supplies Internet to all outlying sites. There should be 6 separate pair of fiber from the VC to all outlying sites. It can be home runs from the remote sites back to the VC or fusion splicing off of a high count fiber cable.

SOW indicates that Bidders are to provide "Fiber to Ethernet Media Converters" and Patch Cables, but does not provide enough information to describe these devices. For instance:

What speed ethernet (10M, 100M, 1G, 10G)?

What type of Ethernet Ports (copper or fiber)?

How many ethernet ports? one How many patch cables? one What length? depends on where the fiber box is placed next to the switch.

Ethernet speed: Converters should be 1 GIG Ethernet Ports: copper # of Ethernet Ports: One (1) # of patch cables: One (1) Lenght dependent upon where fiber box is located next to switch

Between the Maintenance Compound and the Visitor's Center, there appears to be a bridge over the water. Is the intent to directional bore under the water, or is attaching a new conduit pathway to the Bridge acceptable? If so, does the NPS own the Bridge?

Either means and method is acceptable to NPS. It's OK to attach conduit pathway to bridge, as this is a federal road, and not a state or county road.

Regarding the requirement for individual FOA CFOT Certification, please confirm whether an Individual Fiber Technician or Installation Certification from Corning Fiber Optic Company is acceptable in lieu of the private Certification provided by FOA?

Any nationally recognized organization chartered to promote professionalism in fiber optics will be considered. Top Industry Training Certification Organizations include, but not limited to, BICSI;

SCTE•ISBE; Corning Fiber Optic and Fiber Optic Association. References in the specifications to equipment, material, articles, or patented processes by trade name, make, or catalog number, shall be regarded as establishing a standard of quality and shall not be construed as limiting competition.

Regarding the requirement for individual FOA CFOT Certification, please confirm whether individuals that are performing tasks other than installing or terminating the fiber cabling, such as trenching, assembling racks or other pathway components, are still required to hold an active, individual fiber certification, or if the Fiber Certification is required only for Technicians actively participating in the actual installation or termination of fiber cabling itself?

A certified Fiber contractor is required. Whereas certification of each work or crew installing networks should be certified as a fiber technician. As I interpret this express language, pay close attention to key words, e.g. shall or must (implies mandatory or imposes a legal obligation) contracted by may or should (implies optional or recommended). To further clarify this distinction, it bears repeating: the contractor must be certified Fiber Contractor and technicians (installing the network) should possess certification to demonstrate a broad knowledge, level of skills and abilities (KSAs) in fiber optics.

Would you please provide a list of the site visit attendees from the 1st site visit?

Infinity Datacom Solutions LLC Pensacola, FL

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